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Project Tutorials >

How To Make Bottle Brush Trees ~ Chenille Bump Tiny Christmas Tree Craft Project Tutorial



Create a charming forest of miniature bottle brush trees using soft or shimmery chenille bumps.  Add to dioramas, adorn putz houses, or assemble tiny scenes of trees and tiny wildlife.  Completed trees are about 2 to 3-1/2" tall.

Supplies: Chenille Bumps, Spun Cotton Bases, 6mm Glass Beads, Tiny Tinsel and Chenille Cording, Craft Paint, Glue (like Aleene's Tacky Glue), Scissors, Skewers or Pipe Cleaners, Toothpicks, Optional: .1mm Deco Beads


Step 1: Paint spun cotton bases and let dry.  Use a skewer or pipe cleaner in the hole as a "handle" when painting and drying, too.  If using SC357, the hole is on the bottom of the shape.  You will need to carefully poke a hole in the TOP of the shape using the tip of a pair of scissors.  We poked the hole before painting.

Step 2: Cut chenille bumps in to tree shapes. Use a pair of scissors to trim along all sides of the center wire to create a stem.  You generally want to trim up to the widest part of the bump to achieve a tree shape.  If using tree bumps, simply cut apart and trim lightly to shape if desired.


Step 3
: Trim stem and glue into base, let dry.  You can trim your stem shorter so the bottom bristles are very close to the base, or leave more stem so the bristles start above the base.  Try different lengths before gluing to get the look you like. 


Step 4: Add a garland. Cut a 9-10" piece of chenille tinsel cord.  Try wrapping the cord around the tree to get a feel for how tightly to wind, cord placement and look.  Add a small drop of glue at the tip of the tree and apply an end of the cord.  Pinch gently to make sure both pieces adhere together well.  Let dry.  Wrap the cord around the tree toward the stem taking care to space each wind evenly.  Add a drop of glue to the stem just below the bristles.  Wind the end of the cord into the glue and around the stem two times.  Trim the excess cord close to the stem and use a toothpick to press the end into the glue.

Step 5: Add beads. Using a toothpick, add a small drop of glue to the tree where you wish to put a bead.  Place bead over glue drop and gently press into place.  Repeat for each additional bead.  Let dry.  We used 5-8 beads per tree.


Optional Step 6: Frost the base with tiny deco beads. Use a paint brush to smooth a very thin layer of glue over the base.  Spoon deco beads over glue, tap off excess and let dry completely.  Use a dry paint brush to brush off any deco beads not adhered.  The end result should be a very subtle shimmer.


Tips: Here are links to the chenille bumps and bases shown in the image above:

5" chenille bumps pair best with bases SC395 or SC357

2-1/2" chenille bumps pair best with bases SC395, SC357 or SC011

1-1/4" tree bumps pair best with bases SC011

• Green trees are classic but don't be afraid to go colorful! Make a statement with trees in pink, blue or other bright hues.

• The metallic bumps have a great retro look and are stiffer than the chenille.  You may find adding beads is easier if the beads are nestled in closer to the center stem.

• The 1-1/4" tree bumps are a stiffer material (more like bottle brush) than the chenille.  Another option for embellishing these tiny trees is to use white paint and a blotting motion to add "snow." Be sure to use a small amount of paint on your brush and add it to the tree little by little until you achieve the desired look.

• We used Martha Stewart Crafts paint in Habanero and Yellow Gold for our bases before adding deco beads in Clear and Stardust.

• Add a bear to your forest :)



1-1/4" Bump Chenille Trees in Emerald Green ~ 25 Trees

1-1/4" Bump Chenille Trees in Emerald Green ~ 25 Trees

$4.95

30 Aqua Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Aqua Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Blackberry Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Blackberry Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Blue Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Blue Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Brown Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Brown Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Burgundy Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Burgundy Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Copper Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Copper Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Dark Teal Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Dark Teal Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Gold Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Gold Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Hot Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Hot Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Light Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Light Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Light Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Light Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Light Purple Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Light Purple Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Lime Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Lime Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Matte Champagne Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Matte Champagne Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Matte Dark Olive Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Matte Dark Olive Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Matte Palest Yellow Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Matte Palest Yellow Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Matte Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Matte Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Matte Pumpkin Orange Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Matte Pumpkin Orange Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Medium Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Medium Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pearl Coral Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pearl Coral Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pearl Fuchsia Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pearl Fuchsia Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pearl Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pearl Green Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pearl Light Blue Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pearl Light Blue Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pearl Rose Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pearl Rose Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pearl Teal Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pearl Teal Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Pink Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Purple Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Purple Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Red Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Red Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Silver Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Silver Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

30 Violet Purple Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

30 Violet Purple Round Glass Beads 6 mm ~ Czech Republic

$7.95

Chenille Bottlebrush Tree Cording in Green + Gold Tinsel ~ 25 Trees

Chenille Bottlebrush Tree Cording in Green + Gold Tinsel ~ 25 Trees

Out of Stock!

Light Green & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Light Green & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95

Pale Pink & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Pale Pink & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95

Powder Blue & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Powder Blue & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95

Red & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Red & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95

Yellow & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Yellow & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95

Cornflower Blue & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Cornflower Blue & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95

Green & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

Green & White + Silver Chenille Sparkle Cording ~ 5 yards ~ Tiny 1/8" wide

$7.95